Kimonos and Diamonds: Fate's List
by WolfyWolfy32
Summary: Kaoru follows a list and if she doesn't do as the list tells, someone that Kaoru knows will die and her friends will suffer more than she. It comes and flames away every three months, and leaves her with a changed fate each time.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One 

Kaoru looked at her long list of things to steal for the month. Her work sometimes gave her a headache. She would have to go undercover to get the items on the list, but it all paid off well at the end. She sighed. It was lonely doing this… the work that she used to have a partner do for her. Nevertheless, she hated the guts of that single person: her adopted sister and ex-best friend. She sighed again, and looked out the window in the hotel room she rented. No view, only a large street with cars on it and a few retail shops on the edges.

In a town and a half away, a festival was going to be held. It was the yearly festival in celebration of the fine harvests in that year, it would be held under the harvest moon. Kaoru loved all moons; she favored to original moon more so than the others.

During that time, she would need to take pictures of a judge and his mistresses. Kaoru's source had discovered the women, and wanted evidence to black mail the judge for his client's trial. He had five mistresses and each knew about the other. It was disgusting and she was pleased to have blessed with opportunity to get him back for his sins. After that task was accomplished, she would get paid two hundred dollars for each photo. Then Kaoru would have a week off, until she had a chance to complete the next tasks.

She packed five digital cameras and extra batteries in a non-identifiable backpack. This would be an easy kill. Long distance photos and short photos. She slipped on the bland outfit she had previously picked out. She wanted to blend in as much as possible; not to be individually identified. Jeans, sweatshirt, running shoes, sunglasses and a hat. She sat down and stared out the window, watching the sun set. _Patience now._

* * *

Kaoru slid the screen on her helmet down, and started the engine to motorcycle. The harvest moon was almost perfect in the night sky. She would have to camouflage the flashes from the camera some how. _Oh, well, then… as long as I get what I came for. _She drove forward, skipped through five green lights. _Almost there.

* * *

_Standing in bushes, her back to a food stand, she positioned the camera. "Flash on," she muttered under her breath, turned the camera side ways and waited for the man in her way to move. A thin, muscular man in a black suit had two women with short red dresses on, on either side of his body. Uck. The man in the brown suit in front of the judge moved and left from her sight. She pressed several buttons on the camera. "Zoom in." She flashed five pictures, then ducked into the bushes. Moving the lollipop in her mouth to the side. 

The tree she was under, moved as the wind blew. She crouched and hid herself under the bush completely, pulling her backpack next to her. _Nice hot shower, nice hot shower after this._ She sighed and rolled her eyes. Nonexistent bugs crawling up her pants. She twitched and crossed her legs oddly.

The other three mistresses came into her sight. She smiled, _easy cash._ She took fifty shots of them together with the judge and twenty individual shots. Kaoru switched cameras. _Give me the dirty now.

* * *

_

Another hour passed before something worth taking a picture of happened. _Finally!_ Unknown to people who were not sure what they were looking for, she could easily tell that one of his many mistresses was digging her perfectly and cheaply manicured hand into his pants. Money signs shot up in Kaoru's eyes. She laughed, darkly, and shot thirty pictures of it. _Too easy._ She crawled out of the bush and slid her cameras into her bag again. She shook herself as if overly shivering, and put on her backpack.

Kaoru pulled out her wallet intending to buy some food before heading back. She walked to the front of it and stood behind three other people. She studied the menu up above. _Chinese food stand? What should I get? Pork over rice? Beef over rice? Chicken over rice? Pork over noodles and rice?_

"Pork over rice, please," said the man in front of her, she looked at his back. _Mind reader._

"Miss?" asked the woman at the cash register. Kaoru blinked with surprise.

"Pork over noodles, please," she said, paying and standing behind the man again, waiting for the food. _A rock?_ She leaned back, stretching casually. A rock flew past her, barely missing her body, and almost hit the man on the head. He had leaned forward, yawning. _What in the world? Did he… no._ He stood back up and accepted his food. _What was he wearing?_

This stranger in front of her was wearing a male kimono, a rare sight in this city. Though it was not surprising to find women wearing beautiful kimonos during the festival. The wind blew suddenly and blew her brown ponytail towards the stand. Something flew out of his shirt.

"Thank you," he said, harshly, and passed by her quickly. She caught his eye and noticed a spark. She narrowed her eyes and turned her body to the counter. He had long black hair and killer's eyes. She had those too. They were not easy to acquire; most had to kill to get them. She received hers by what she saw: the shameful killings of mortals who didn't deserve death, and those that did. The one death that meant everything was the death of her sister's real mother. Her father was a low life and was in jail for a long time for killing someone else's child.

She scooted forward and took her food order, opening the small box and digging her chopsticks into the pork. She spat out her lollipop stick into a trashcan. She, slowly, walked down the hill and towards the parking lot. She had taken off her sunglasses and hat, and had stuffed them into her bag. She sighed and swallowed the noodle on her chopstick. She was almost to the parking lot.

* * *

Kaoru stood behind four boys, chopsticks held securely in her hands. They were smoking cigarettes around her bike, trying to look cool. She flexed in annoyance and whacked one of the boys on his head with a hard fist. He yelled out in pain and jumped forward, crashing into her motorcycle. The boys turned around, cigarettes drooping in their mouths. 

"Boo," she said, calmly, eye twitching in annoyance. "_Get the hell away from my bike_."

The one whom she had pushed, stood up, his filled with embarrassment.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked, motioning for his companions to move back with him. They shut their mouths, spit out their cigarettes, and stomped on them. One of them, all dressed in black, put up his fists.

"My bike, not yours," she said, taking steps forward and physically threatening them. "Now leave or else."

"Really?" another said, dressed all in blue, taking a knife out of his back pocket. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. She, then, lifted her face to them, glaring and showing a killer's face.

Two of them ran off, yelling for the others to follow. The one dressed in black swiped the blue dressed boy's knife. She picked up the bike and positioned it to lean on its stand. Then she walked on the other side, smirking.

"What a threat," she said, grabbed the boy's wrist and lifted him in the air. The blue boy ran off. Kaoru tightened her hold, and her smirk grew.

"Let go," he whimpered, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"You first," she whispered, meaning let go of the knife. He widened his eyes. _What was he thinking? That I was some pervert?_ "I mean, let go of the knife now." He nodded frantically and opened his hand. She grabbed the knife and shoved him to the ground. "Get!" He ran off, a clear-frightened expression on his face. She observed the knife and tightened her smirk. Then, she threw it and it stabbed into a tree.

She sighed, narrowing her eyes at the full moon, and started up her bike.

_Stupid boys.

* * *

_

Kaoru appeared back at the hotel in a matter of minutes and began to pack up her belongings. She would leave in the morning. She stopped, suddenly, and looked up at the ceiling. She collapsed onto her knees, her body feeling numb. "You got me," she whispered, falling forward and hitting her head on the table.

The men in the room leaned forward to make sure she was unconscious.

"Get her belongings and I'll check her out of here," said Sanosuke, picking the unconscious woman up and putting her on his back. She pulled her arms around his neck as if she were piggyback riding him while sleeping.

"What about her motorcycle, Sano?" asked the man, lifting his gaze to Sano's eyes. Sano raised an eyebrow.

"She has a motorcycle now?" He looked out the window in thought. "Wonder what happened to her convertible." He shrugged. "I'll tell Kuno to put it in the plane." Aoshi nodded, slamming the suitcase shut.

Sanosuke headed down stairs with Kaoru on his back.

"How did she expect to put this on her bike?" he muttered to himself, and carried everything down stairs. A slip of paper was tucked into his shirt.

He dumped everything in the trunk of a pick-up truck and slid in the front seat of the car. Kuno, after placing the bike in the trunk, jumped beside the bike and hid under a sheet.

"Here, hold her," said Sano, giving Kaoru to Aoshi. He looked up at Sano a bored, emotionless expression on his face.

"Fine." He pulled her into the middle seat and buckled her up.

"She mustn't wake up, she has to be up in the sky before that happens," said Kuno, through the small window in the back. Aoshi looked out the window, watching lights pass, but all of his concentration was on the feeling of Kaoru's warm head in the crook of his neck and her breath mingling against his skin, making goose-bumps appear. He closed his eyes half way.

"Sweet," whispered Sanosuke, turning the truck into the private jet landing area but the plane wouldn't be there, it was farther back. Aoshi looked up at him; he almost gave away the emotion of shock, when he caught Sano looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"What was that, Sanosuke?" asked Kuno, shifting slightly under the sheet. He could almost see his breath in front of him. It was a cold night, oh, yes, it was.

"She smells sweet, doesn't she, Aoshi?" asked Sano, the edges of his lips lifting. Aoshi did not answer and grunted in response. Sano looked back at the road. There was a long stretch of road before the plane came into view.

"Kenshin doesn't deserve sweet Kaoru," said Kuno, although it sounded like he was only saying it to himself.

"Kenshin?" asked Aoshi, looking blankly down at Kaoru. He felt a spark and quickly looked at Sano, he was staring at Aoshi again.

"You know Kenshin, because Kenshin is Battousai," muttered Sanosuke, rubbing a finger on Kaoru's face. She moaned and swatted away Sano's finger, keeping her eyes shut. She turned into Aoshi's arms and snuggled into his chest. The hot breath on his chest sent shivers up his spine, but he hid it well, twitching every few minutes.

"I see," said Aoshi, turning to look out the window again. The plane was in view. He felt a blush creep onto his face, he placed his hand on his cheek and sighed. The blush disappeared quickly. He scowled, feeling sudden hate and jealousy build in him. "They are lovers?" he asked, nearly barking, he knew that Battousai had slept with two other women in all the time he was here.

"Yeah," said Kuno, his eyes turned to study Aoshi. "You could say that."

"Then you are right, he doesn't deserve her," Aoshi said, briskly, the car came to a sudden halt in the middle of the road. Kuno and Aoshi turned their heads to see Sano's angry expression.

"Sanosuke?" asked Kuno, half-heartedly, afraid of his silence. Sano backhanded Aoshi across the face.

"Don't ever," he started, breathing heavily as if the atmosphere was almost gone. Aoshi had his face turned to the floor as if he were shamed. "Don't ever say that near him… not near Battousai or Kenshin. They-He will kill you, or beat you until you wished that you never even existed. Battousai has no fear, but his strongest emotion is for Kaoru!"

"He slept with two other woman while I was here," he muttered, sort of asking, trying to lift his gaze to meet Sano's glare, but it faltered, he did not like to be glared at.

"No," said Kuno, calmly, turning his face back. "Those two were Kaoru… though…" He looked down.

"What is it?" said Sanosuke, driving forward slowly again.

"He did sleep with one other person, but she became pregnant and he killed her when she threatened to tell Kaoru."  
"Yeah, I remember her," said Sano, softly, stopping the car and unlocking the doors. "She was Battousai's drunken rape victim, but it turned out that she wasn't drunk at all. She was hired to frame Battousai and kill his reputation and relationship with Kaoru and others. The pregnancy was planned." Kuno had a disgusted look on his face and Aoshi nodded.

"I see," he said, unbuckling his and Kaoru's seatbelt. He picked her up and carried her in his arms toward the plane. Three other men ran past him and grabbed the luggage out of the trunk. Kuno jumped down, pulling the motorcycle with him. Sanosuke sighed and left the engine running in the car. He followed Aoshi into the mini-plane.

"Load it quickly, the stuff is going to wear off in three hours!" order Sano, walking up the ramp. He glared at the five men running down the ramp.

"HURRY UP!" someone barked, it sent shivers up Kunos' spine. Sano sighed again and sat beside the sleeping Kenshin. Aoshi was sitting in a chair with his feet up on a cushion. Kaoru had her head on his lap and was holding his waist. He looked away in annoyance and embarrassment, then he fell asleep.

* * *

Kenshin woke up an hour later, and stretched with a silent yawn. A woman's kimono was on his lap and he nodded, standing up and looking around for Kaoru. Everyone was asleep in this compartment and he walked through silently. Aoshi was falling in and out of sleep, but kept his eyes closed. He felt Kaoru's warmth leave his lap. He kept his eyes closed and sensed the presence of the Battousai in front of him. He opened one eye a little, breathing in slower, because of what he saw. Kenshin was changing Kaoru's clothing. 

Battousai flashed in his eyes and he smirked. She wore a black lace bra for him, he thought, rubbing his hand on her stomach. She moaned, taking in air, and shivering. He shook his head and slipped the kimono on her, quickly. He tied the obi, then placed her back on Aoshi's lap, not noticing Aoshi's half-open eye.

"Sleep flower," Kenshin whispered to her, kissing her on her forehead, and putting a blindfold on her eyes. His eyes full of emotion for this woman. However, as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared and he became Battousai. Selfish and cruel. Aoshi closed his eyes fully, happy to have Kaoru on his lap, again.

Battousai sat back down and fell asleep. It would be another hour or two before she woke up. Aoshi took the paper out of his shirt and slid it under Kaoru's bra strap. Sleep now, he told himself.

* * *

_Where am I?_ Kaoru opened her eyes, seeing only the black cloth over her eyes. She sighed, sat up and untied the cloth from her face. She was actually somewhat surprised that no one had stopped her from doing this. She looked at the white ceiling, her eardrums ached, and she felt like she was going to have a bloody nose or throw up. She breathed in deeply and then out, quickly. _I hate planes sometimes. _

She was sitting alone in a compartment sealed off by a curtain, she looked around, briefly. The window shades were pulled down to keep light from entering the area. She threw the blindfold against the other wall that had various chairs and small puffed with soft down, white tables. She looked at the invisible watch on her wrist.

"I don't own a watch," she whispered, putting her arm down and looking at her clothing. They had dressed her again; she hated it when they dressed her. It annoyed the crap out of her, and she never knew who did it. "Argh!" She stood up and walked in a circle, looking at the ground. Then, she looked at the curtain again and narrowed her eyes. _At least it is a nice looking kimono. Always is though, is it not?_

The kimono was black with gray and blue flowers, crawling up the bottom like vines. The last one was pink, made her look really frilly and girly.

Someone walked through the curtains. "Kaoru," said the voice, smiling and walking closer so she could see him better.

"Sanosuke!" said Kaoru, excited. She jumped up and hugged him. He hugged back, and slowly pulled away to get a better look at her as if studying her. He stared blankly at her, she narrowed her eyes. They began to water, and slowly she blinked them away.

He started to laugh.

"Sano!" she exclaimed, and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Give up Kaoru!" he said, patting her on the shoulder. "You'll never beat me in a staring contest!"

She twisted her nose and growled. "SHUT UP SANO!" She started to laugh and another voice interrupted them.

"Hey, Kaoru," said Saitou, opening a window shade. Kaoru walked to stand right next to him.

"I have what you want, but I need to get somewhere so I could print them out for you," she whispered, looking at Sanosuke and another man. The man looked familiar. Saitou nodded.

"It is an honor to be the first on your list Kaoru," whispered Saitou, opening the rest of the shades. She smiled.

"I don't think I can find what I need in Japan, Saitou." He nodded, again, patted her on the shoulder, and turned with her to see the open curtain.

"Kaoru," said Kenshin, softly, he moved to stand right in front of her.

"Kenshin," she whispered, tilting her head to the side, and narrowing her eyes, seductively.

"Battousai," he said, meaning 'call me Battousai now'.

"No, Kenshin," she said, meaning 'I'm calling you Kenshin, now live with it or else'.

"Battousai."

"Kenshin."

"Battousai."

"Kenshin." Saitou sighed and left, closing the curtain.

"Battousai."

"Kenshin." Aoshi, the one who had been there since the beginning, followed Saitou.

"Battousai."

"Kenshin."

"Battousai."

"Battousai," she whispered against his lips, and licked her own. She blew air against his lips, making them drier. She looked at Sano, he nodded and left quickly.

Kenshin held Kaoru's head and smashed their lips together. "Battousai."

* * *

"I wouldn't go in there," said Sano to the gathering men, near the curtain. 

"Why not?" asked Kuno, about reach the curtain. Sano grabbed his wrist.

"SANO!" shouted Battousai, and suddenly his head appeared on the other side of the curtain. His eyes flashed yellow with anger. "If anyone peeks, touches, or does anything that I or Miss Kaoru doesn't like, they will have their eyes cut out!" All the men nodded and pulled on another curtain, it fell on Battousai's face. "That's better," they heard Battousai mutter.

"How many hours until we get there?" asked Aoshi, looking out the window.

"Five hours," said Saitou, sitting down, beside a large suitcase.

"Yippee," said Kuno, crashing next to Aoshi. "Wish I could have some of that." Sano smacked him on the back of his head.

"Have some respect," ordered Sano, looking at the curtain again. He sighed.

* * *

Finished with chapter one. There are notes in chapter two. An adviced read. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

"Kaoru," breathed Kenshin, looking at her from his laying position. He slid down the blanket off her shoulder, causing her to shiver. "Kaoru."

"What Kenshin?" she asked, softly, her eyes were closed, and her head was against his chest.

"We are landing in an hour, let's get dressed." She groaned and wrapped her arms around Kenshin's chest.

"No," she whined, pushing fake tears into her eyes. She looked up at him with baby eyes and quivered her lower lip. He narrowed his eyes, kissed her on the forehead, and sat up with her against him. "I am not going to let you go, Kenshin… Battousai." He stood, put her small slim feet on his feet and walked to get their clothes. He picked up her bra and waved it. She made a grab for it. "Kenshin! Cut it out!" He kissed her on the lips, pulling the bra away from her. He gripped her wrist and slowly began to dress her. He secretly loved doing this, though he never understood why. "You are good, Battousai," she started, her voice turning cold. She shoved him back and tied the obi around her waist herself. She opened her mouth to say something, but found Battousai's lips on hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her body to his.

"Silence, Kaoru," he whispered into her ear, moving his eyes to the floor. She broke away from him and turned around.

_Where is that paper? Did they leave it? How could I have forgotten about it? Where is it? _Her eyes searched the ground rapidly. _White paper, white paper._ _There! _She swiped it off the ground and stuffed it down her bra. Battousai took no notice to this; he was only wondering how her butt would look in a thinner material kimono. Her face turned a pale pink and she rapidly turned around to face him. She glared at him and walked backwards to sit on the lounge chair. "What is wrong, Kaoru?" he whispered, slowly walking closer to her. She kept her glare on the opposite wall. She closed her eyes as his face appeared right in front of her own.

"Nothing, _Battousai_," she growled, her hands rolling into fists. She jerked her head away, opened her eyes, and glared at the curtain. "I have work to do… some of it involves you…"

"Really?" His eyes perked up, and they turned somewhat innocent and nice. "What numbed am I on the list?" Her glare softened and her face turned into a frown, but she didn't turn her head back at Battousai.

"Battousai is number 6 on my list, and Kenshin is 2 and 3 on my list. It is kind of weird really, they want your picture and autograph. On the other hand, maybe I should be worried." Her frown fell off her face, and it turned blank. Battousai sat next to her, hovering and reading her.

"What do you have to _do_ to Battousai, Kaoru?" he whispered in her ear. His breath gave her goose bumps on her arms. She looked at his lips, then met his eyes.

"I don't know, all I know is I'm supposed to… I don't know… do something to you or with you or something… it was not specific at all. All it said was, 'Battousai.' Really odd." He nodded and turned down to look at the folded hands in his lap.

"I see…" His cheeks tinted lightly, and she noticed.

"Kenshin?" She started to ask why was he blushing, but was interrupted. Kuno appeared on the other side of the curtain and it appeared that it was now open.

"Lord Battousai, the plane is going to land now," said Kuno, bowing to him and Kaoru. He did not do it before, but now that he was in Japan, he had to. Battousai nodded and Kaoru bowed back from her sitting position. She stood up, suddenly, seeing someone she needed to talk to.

"Rin-kun?" she called, he ran right over from the shadows and bowed to her. She bowed back and smiled in greeting.

"Miss Kaoru-sama," he said. He was, quickly, pushed onto one side of the plane. She forced him to sit down while she stood.

Battousai and the other men watched as Rin took out a scroll and pencil and begin to write what she was saying. He nodded every few minutes. Then, when it seemed she was done, they stood together and bowed low to each other.

* * *

"Thank you Rin-kun," she said to the boy, patting him on the head. She pulled a bag filled with gold and jewels of sorts out of her sleeve. She took his hand and placed the bag in it. 

He shook his head, "No, Miss Kaoru-sama," he said, and pushed the bag into her hands, she pushed them back. "I will not accept these!"

"You will, Rin-kun!" She shoved them pack into his hands.

"Miss Kaoru-sama," he said, softly, still having the shove war with her. "I am wealthy enough as it is. I don't need this."

"Rin-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Turn around," she ordered, moving with her fingers the way she wanted him to turn. He gulped turning away from her slowly; he noticed the others watching them. She pulled the back of his shirt.

"What-What are you doing? Miss Kaoru-sama?" She dropped the bag of gems and gold into his shirt. "AAH!" He jerked away from her, turning rapidly, and his hands trying to grab the little bag in his shirt. He blushed, stopped moving, and felt Kaoru's hand in his shirt. She slowly pulled it out, her long manicured nails gliding slowly up his back.

"Now will you accept these?" she asked, softly, waving the small bag in front of his reddened face. He nodded, took the bag into his hand, and bowed to her before running off. She rubbed her nose. Battousai appeared right behind her. She falsely yawned and stretched, hitting him in the face on purpose.

"Ow, bad Kaoru," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist. She rested her hands on his hands. Suddenly, the plane touched down on the runway and she fell against him. She groaned, lightly, and tried to push away from Battousai.

"Kenshin," she growled, unable to get away from his grip. She found herself on the back of Sanosuke all of the sudden. "Sanosuke? Why am I on your back?"  
"You aren't supposed to walk around with no shoes on in a place so dirty, Miss Kaoru," said Sanosuke, sighing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Someone is going to get me shoes right, Sano?" she asked, twirling a piece of his hair with her finger.

"Nope, sorry, Miss Kaoru," said Saitou, walking along side Sano as they walked down a large ramp. "But those were the orders given to us."

"Not to give _me shoes?_"

"Yep," said Kuno, nodding and walking past them with Kaoru's luggage.

"Be careful with that!" she ordered, jerking in Sano's hold. Sano glared at her. "Sorry," she whispered, putting her head against his shoulder, again. Aoshi walked slowly behind them, watching Kaoru mainly.

Kenshin had gone up to talk with the pilots, probably to yell at them for something. He did not want to know.

* * *

"Lord Battousai?" asked the pilot, standing up and bowing. The second pilot did the same. "What may I do for you?" Battousai sighed. 

"Nothing really," he said, looking out the windows in thought. "But Miss Kaoru will be needed your flying skills in a while. I am not sure when, but other than that, you men are free to do as you please." They nodded and bowed again. "Your pay is where it always is." He left through the doorway, both men looked at each other.

* * *

"Here you go, Miss Kaoru," said Sano, putting her down in the limousine. She nodded and sighed, scooting over to the middle of the seat. "Kenshin should be here any minute." She nodded and looked up at him as he started to leave. 

"Sanosuke?" she asked. He turned around and leaned in the car's doorway.

"Yeah, Miss Kaoru?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in amusement.

"Where is my motorcycle?" His head fell, then looked back up at her.

"It is going to be put in your room, Miss Kaoru," he said, smiling a little. He shut the door as he left.

"In my room?" She looked out the window as he shook hands with the driver. He was going to sit up front with him. Battousai opened the other door on the other side.

"Miss Kaoru," he said, greeting her with a head shake. _We had sex! Do something other than that! Say something! Why isn't he saying anything! Argh!_

"Kenshin, come here," she said, patting the area next to her. He sat next to her, keeping his hands to himself. Anger burned within her. "_Well,_ Kenshin?" _Touch me, kiss me, or poke me! Bother me! GOD DAMN IT! _

"Yes, Miss Kaoru?" He turned his face to look at her. She was glaring at him, and she turned her head away. _Stupid, stupid Battousai! _

"Fine, be that way," she huffed, glaring out the window. The door opened, Kuno looked in.

"What do want?" she asked, not looking at him._ I will get my revenge… tonight…_

"Lord Battousai, Miss Kaoru-sama, are you two ready to leave?" he asked, sneaking odd glances at Miss Kaoru.

"Yes, Kuno," said Kenshin, looking blankly at him, and not noticing that Kuno was glancing at Kaoru. "You may leave now." Kuno bowed to them, shut the door, and went to the front with the driver. He motioned for them to go and walked to the back of the limousine. There was another limousine behind Kaoru and Kenshin's limousine. _… or right now…_

When the black vehicle started to pull away from the edge, Kaoru slapped Kenshin.

"What was that for Miss Kaoru?" he asked, calmly, closing his eyes and crossing his arms in front of him.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? Battousai?" she spat at him, backing up, and walking steadily as she did so. She slowly took out the camera, which she had grabbed out of one her bags, before they had loaded them in the trunk. He did not answer. "Stay still," she said, angling the camera, and kneeling on the ground about five feet away from him. He had no idea what she was doing.

'What the hell is she doing?' he asked himself. Nevertheless, he did not fell endangered.

"One… two… three…" Her flash went off, she smiled, and he opened his eyes. She was smiling like a maniac.

"What?" he asked, dumbly, scratching the back of his head, and watching a piece of dust land on his nose.

"PERFECT!" she shouted, taking five pictures of the same view. She motioned frantically, and her smile grew. He sighed, narrowing his eyes, dully, and titling his head to the side. He let his hands fall to his sides as if dead. "Two… three…" She took five more pictures. "Again!" He shook his head and waved his arms in front of him like a photophobic person. Five shots of that and she was done… _for now…(Dark laughter.) _"That will be all for now, Kenshin." She slipped the camera into her sleeve and jumped to sit on his lap. "Kenshin is number two and three on my list," she whispered into his ear, and licked it softly. He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist, and smiled. When he opened them again, she gasped. They were flashing with yellow anger again.

"Here, Miss Kaoru," he said to her, softly, trying not to frighten or, more so, anger her. "You must call me Battousai."

"I am not calling you Battousai-sama," she ordered, narrowing her eyes at him. "Understood. I'll call you Battousai, when you have company, but behind closed doors…" She leaned into his ear again, letting her breath tarnish his neck's skin. "Kenshin is all mine." She placed her lips on his and let her lids fall half way. _Do it, now… _He pushed against her lips, loving her and showing it only at a minor extent compared to the plane ride. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter, and placed her legs on the each side of his body. He placed his hand on his leg, moving it up slowly, and ruining the proper way the female kimono was supposed to be. _Hmm… mine… _She gasped as he felt what he had grabbed. She, immediately, smashed her tongue through his lips and fought with his. She ruined his hair with his hands, breathing heavily. "Battousai." _Mine… mine… mine…

* * *

_

"SANO!" shouted Kuno, jumping up and down his seat like a little kid awaiting a toy. "LOOK! LOOK! I THINK THEY ARE AT IT! AGAIN!" Rin sunk back in his seat as he watched Aoshi punch him the back of his head, and Sano start yelling at him over the cell-phone.

"KUNO!" he shouted on the other side of the line, the driver looked up surprised. "Kuno, silence yourself before Lord Battousai cuts your eyes and tongue out… or, worse yet, Miss Kaoru castrates you!" He began to laugh loudly and like a crazy maniac. He knew this would severally freak out Kuno. When he stopped, he did not make another sound. The driver was now shivering where he sat.  
"Sanosuke-sama?" asked Kuno, lightly on the other side of the line in the other limousine. His smirk grew. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN WHEN I AM AROUND!"

Sanosuke ended the call. "Stupid Kuno," he muttered and turned to glare out the window. The driver's eye twitched.

"No kidding, sir," he said, quietly, shutting his mouth when Sanosuke turned to grin at him. Sano nodded.

* * *

"Stupid Sano-sama," muttered Kuno, glaring at the phone and trying to crush it with his mind. Aoshi sighed, and noticed that the other henchmen did the same. He smiled slightly and turned his attention to the overly silent Rin_-kun_. Rin was younger than he was, but he had been loyal to Battousai longer than he had. Aoshi was 25 and had been loyal to Battousai for one year. Rin was 18, had been loyal to Battousai for five years. Kuno was 20 and had been loyal to Battousai for four years. 

"Aoshi-san," he said, interrupting his brief thoughts. His eyes became unglazed as he focused on Rin-_san_.

"Sorry, Rin-san," he whispered, looking away and out the window.

Sanosuke was 26 and had been loyal to Battousai since he first started this. In addition, when the Battousai had started this was when he was fifteen and Sanosuke was sixteen. Aoshi scratched the top of his nose and then placed it on his chin thought. Battousai was 25 too, and Sanosuke was 26. How old was Miss Kaoru? When did she become loyal to him? Did she become loyal to him? Or, was she just messing around with his head? Wish I could get inside his head. Maybe… I can.

Aoshi looked up, and leaned over to Kuno. "Kuno," he whispered, eyeing the people around him, and finally resting it on Kuno's glare. "How old is Miss Kaoru?"

Kuno looked taken aback for a moment, then turned to face the front view window. When he turned back, he grabbed Aoshi roughly, and cupped his hand around his mouth.

"She is 24 now, she had her birthday sometime during the year, I do so believe… she has her birthday in October," he whispered, and let Aoshi go, turning back to the front window. He was sitting beside the driver.

"Thanks," whispered Aoshi, sitting back down and dusting himself off as if nothing happened. The others around him raised their eyebrows in question. He did not answer them; he looked blankly at the wall opposite him. So… Miss Kaoru is younger than the Battousai and me, he thought. His face showed nothing of what he was thinking. He blinked and placed a piece of gum in his mouth. Then he passed it around for the others. Like hungry wolves to fresh meat. She can have a place in my future for this -he looked around at the people, knowing they would most likely be slaughtered later in life- _clan_, if one could call it that. Battousai, probably, thinks _this_ as a gang that people fear, but no. No one really feared this type of gang; they did not do anything that was to be feared. They rarely killed any one, and mainly embezzled money. They did have good street fights, credited Aoshi, narrowing his eyes slightly. They had street fights to show that they were still around and deserved respect. Aoshi wondered how Miss Kaoru got mixed up in all of this. "Why?" he muttered, softly, and hoping that no one had caught it.

Rin took out the list from his sleeve, pushing the bag in it further back. The scroll rolled itself open, gliding down the narrow isle of the black limousine. One of Battousai's henchman picked the end up to read it. Most of the items on the list were nonsense, and the scroll was 15 feet long.

"What is this list, Rin-san?" he asked, pulling more of the paper from Rin, who was trying to get it back. The others started to read it too as it lifted into the air by the two people pulling it.

"Ameuri-san!" shouted Rin, placing his hand on the sword that was tied to his waist. "Drop the scroll and give it back to me. Now!" His narrowed in malice, he could already see the blood dripping off his sword. Ameuri could sense this and rolled up the scroll, throwing it back to Rin. He bowed his head slightly forward.

"Sorry, Rin-san," he said, sitting in his chair as quietly as possible. Rin sighed, opened the scroll again and began to read what he had written.

"Hmm…"

Aoshi watched silently from his seat, interesting… This young man had the respect of such older men. Aoshi looked at the one called Ameuri. He was going to be the first one he would kill tonight.

* * *

"Kaoru-san?" 

"Nani?"

"Why do you need those pictures of me?"

Kaoru looked up at the half-naked man still lying down on the moist leather seats of the limousine. She narrowed her eyes with dullness at his stupidity. _Pictures for number two on my list, dumb ass!_

She breathed out calmly. "Kenshin-san, I told you, you are number two and three on my list."

"Well," he said, his voice was turning whiny. "Why aren't I first on your list!" She rolled her eyes and threw his haori at him.

"I don't arrange the list Kenshin-san!" He nodded, slipped on his shirt and not looking at her. "I'll be needing to have you sign them later, before I auction them off." He nodded and started to laugh.

"Wow," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Don't I feel famous!"  
"Indeed," she said, straightening her kimono out as she was kneeling in a sitting position. "Who in the world would want a samurai's picture anyway?" He rolled his eyes, dramatically, and smiled.

"Well, it could be a picture that they want to give to the authorities or to assassins to kill me." Her eye fidgeted once.

"Shut up, Kenshin-san," she said, rolling her eyes and sitting beside him. Something began to ring. "What the?" She looked at the corded telephone in his hand. _There is a telephone in a limousine. What else, what else… _

"Great. No, no, you could open up the door now," he said, calmly. He narrowed his eyes. "_And_ if you ever mention that again, I will have Kaoru castrate you." She blushed slightly at the thought of castrating someone… again. The door opened, and a masculine appeared to help her out. She could see who it was, because the sun was blinding her. She took the hand and was immediately on the back of Sanosuke. She growled, and wrapped her arms around his neck, again.

"Miss Kaoru-chan," he greeted her with a nod of his head. He turned around and bowed to Battousai as he stepped out into the sunlight.

* * *

**_Haori half coat. Kaoru's thoughts are the only ones that will be italic. Any other thoughts people will not be italic. Battousai is like a bad and darker side of Kenshin. Kaoru fell in love with Kenshin, not Battousai, so that is why she keeps calling Battousai/Kenshin: Kenshin. If she is mad or angry with Kenshin, she will call him: Battousai. Aoshi is super hot/handsome/sexy/etc. This story does not follow the series guidelines. It won't. Chan used for children, young women, and close friends. Sama used for superiors. Dono used for higher-ranked or highly respected figures. San used among equals or near equals. Sensei used for teachers, masters, respected entertainers, politicians. Tono Lord (tono-sama). Bokutō a wooden practice sword. Onna woman. Honto really. Hai yes. Iie no. Nani what. Kami god. Yukata summer kimono, bathrobe. Words will be used for later, and later words will be added. Hope you enjoy what you have read and will read if you continue. Have a nice day. I am in the middle of typing chapter three by the time I post this._**

* * *

_I don't want "flames". No "flames" please._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(In the morning)

"Really?" said Aoshi, spinning silently (in a cozy chair) in a large room with a desk. The desk had different piles of paper all over it. It was not Aoshi's desk. He would never own a desk so… messy. "Well, get him back."

"I have a bounty on his head already, Aoshi," said the male on the other end of the telephone call. He coughed and looked out the window that looked inside the factory he owned. The factory was the "Red Factory".

"How much and for how long?" It was safe to use this phone line, because if anyone were trying to listen in, it would be scrambled. Aoshi scribbled something on a piece of paper: _Selo._

"150K and we have had it out for about a week now…" The man sighed loudly, and stretched back in the leather chair he sat in. "Maybe, it's too little?"

"No, no," said Aoshi, rubbing his forehead, softly. "It is just the right amount of cash for some_thing_ so minor."

"Yes." He chuckled, darkly, nodding his head and swinging his legs to cross on top of the rich desk. "Aoshi, I don't even know how he got out… I am starting to wonder if _it_ had help to get out of the factory."

"…" Aoshi narrowed his eyes at the sliding door, two people were standing on the outside of it. "I'll talk to you later."

"All right, just call if you need back up," said the man, smirking, and hanging up the phone. "You know how we hate it when you aren't here," he said to himself.

A big crash shook the building under his feet. He slammed open the door and his footsteps thudded on the staircase as he descended. "What the hell happened!" He stood in front of thirty men trying to restrain a seven-foot man. A wall, nearby his feet, was dust.

"Sorry, Mr. R!" shouted the men in unison. Another man with blue eyes came down from another pair of stairs and a slick, black rifle was in his hands.

He kneeled on the ground, and positioned the gun. "MOVE!" he shouted, the five men in his range jumped out of the way. He pulled back the trigger and sent the dart into the man's neck. "Night, night J201."

J201 fell to the floor, he looked like he was shivering, but it was only a minor side effect of the dart. The men tied ropes around his ankles and hauled him away.

"Follow me, Jin-e," said Mr. Red, motioning the blue-eyed man to follow. Jin-e shook his head, studying J201, before lifting his gaze to meet Mr. Red's glare.

"Put him in a new holding cell and get more sedatives in his system!" ordered another man with a red hard hat. He nodded to Jin-e and Mr. Red. "Sorry about this, Mr. Red and Master Jin-e."

They nodded. "Why aren't you coming with me, Jin-e?" asked Mr. Red, standing too close for comfort, beside Jin-e. Being near Mr. Red was very dangerous and sometimes Jin-e wondered why Mr. Red followed Aoshi instead of trying to take control of the organization. He might win against Aoshi, and that was a scary thought.

"I'm meeting someone for a drink and if I don't appear she will get pissed." Mr. Red's black emotionless eyes dug deep into Jin-e's skull. He nodded and walked back up the stairs to the private office he had there.

Jin-e looked at the ground for a moment, a picture of _her_ appearing in his mind. He loved _her_, but he wanted to kill her sister for being Battousai's _fuck buddy_. That little twit that had beaten his techniques when trying to manipulate the Battousai into telling him where his factory was. Both sides had factories to his knowledge. This factory, the Red Factory, was Hell. This place could make real people, not clones, and not babies. Adults or teenagers, really whatever age they wanted to make them. They would use these "people" in experiments; cruel and inhumane experiments. They inject diseases in them and try to isolate the virus so they can cure it; kill it. But that was only some of them. Others were given injections to see how their body would react to it. Some were even created to give their organs away in the black market. Their organs matched perfectly to the receiver no matter what his or her blood type was. Diseases could never infect the organs and organs were "built to last". Even after the person died the organ would still be like brand new if you put it in another body.

* * *

"Aoshi?" asked Saitou, after Aoshi had hung up the phone.

"Yes, I am finished with the phone, Saitou," he said, quickly, walking through the doorway. He paused and turned his head. "I'm… Thank you, Saitou-san." He hastily walked down the long stretch of the long hallway and turned into the room where the men of Battousai were having a drink and talking. Gossiping crows…

"I heard that they were fighting for some time about something," one of the men with a cold bottle of sake in his hand.

"They are always fighting you moron!" shouted another, throwing a piece of crushed paper at his head.

"I think she was mad about not having shoes," mentioned another.

"No, no," said someone else, taking a hefty slurp of sake in soda. "Some baka left a huge scratch on her ride."

"Her ride?" asked the third man, stirring his drink with the straw in it.

"Her motorcycle, the black one," said the first. The second burped loudly.

"'Scuse me," he said, softly, looking down at his beer and sake mix. "They… um…"

"What'd you say?" asked the fourth. The men in the room all had their eyes on the second speaker. Aoshi scooted through the crowded room and grabbed a bottle of old wine.

"They caught the guy who did it," the second started, his eyes dimmed. "And they-"

"It was intentional," interrupted Aoshi, pouring the wine into a beer glass. "He was pissed, because he had to put it on the plane and then guard it the whole time to make sure that no one messed with it… But he did." The room grew silent and all the men looked to the inside of their glasses.

"What was his punishment? I bet Miss Kaoru kicked his ass!" shouted the first speaker, trying to lighten the mood.

"No," said Aoshi, sitting in a corner on a rug. He placed his sword and the wine bottle on the floor beside him. "No one told Miss Kaoru. She believes her 'ride' is getting a wax and a new paint job in a dark gray." He sighed. "She even requested that there be Sakura flower petals painted in black and a lighter gray on it." He paused, trying to remember the rest of her request. "I believe she also wanted the initials K, B, and F engraved on the side." He did not know what KBF was, and he knew that it had to be very important by the negativity in the room.

"She has some nerve," one hissed.

"No kiddin'," agreed a neighbor, and a few nods and grumbles confirmed what Aoshi thought.

"What does KBF mean?" he asked, some of them glared at the other.

"We aren't allowed to discuss it with a member that has only been here a year."

"When the Battousai wants you to know what it means, he will tell you." Everyone, expect the speaker and Aoshi, nodded. When he wants you to know… Aoshi groaned inwardly, he had heard something about KBF before. It sounded so familiar, where had he heard it? Aoshi gripped the thin neck of the wine bottle and the hilt of his sword, and left the room. Leaving his glass on the counter; he had not taken it with him. KBF… What did that mean? He wanted to find out. He had to find out. He needed a phone, cell phone or telephone it did not matter to him. He would make a call, put out money to see what people knew of KBF. He needed to use Saitou phone line again.

* * *

(At the same time)

"I like this room, Sanosuke-kun," said Kaoru, cheerfully, prancing around with her bare feet. "It is much better than the one Battousai-san gave me last time." She smiled widely, and hugged Sano from behind. "Thank you, Sanosuke-kun." She kissed him on his cheek, knowing that would make him blush a little. He backed away from her and started to walk towards the sliding door. "Oh, Sanosuke-kun?" He turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked, quickly, letting one arm rest against the back of his head.

"When do I get my shoes?" She glared at him, bunching up her smile into a tight frown.

"When you get your shoes, of course," he said, calmly, backing up into the hallway. _Running away, are we now?_ She followed him into the hallway, still glaring. "Kaoru-chan…"

"And where is my motorcycle?" He had his back pressed up against a wall. "Well, Sano-kun?" She poked him in the chest with her index finger. Kuno, appearing from the shadows, coughed.

"Um, Miss Kaoru-chan?" he asked, loud enough to be heard from where he was standing. He was about twenty feet away from them.

"Why are you standing all the way over there?" asked Sano, raising an eyebrow.

"I ask the questions, Sano-kun!" ordered Kaoru. She turned her glare over to Kuno and pointed her finger at him. "Why are you standing all the way over there?" Sano rolled his eyes, and noticed Rin walking up from out of the front hallway. Sano walked over to him.

"Hey, Rin-kun," said Sano, standing right in front of him, and taking a box out of Rin'a hands so he could see who it was.

"Oh, hey, Sano-sama," said Rin, shakily walking over to Kaoru's room. Sanosuke noticed that he was dragging a wagon by a rope tied around his leg, and another wagon was tied to that wagon.

"Do you need help?" Sano asked, his eyes just now noticing how many boxes he was actually carrying.

"OH! YES!" Rin shouted, giving the five boxes he was carrying to Sano, and he untied the rope and pulled it by hand. "Thank you, Sanosuke-sama." He blushed, faintly and led the wagons into the room. Sano sighed.

* * *

"I came to bring you shoes, Miss Kaoru-chan," said Kuno, feeling discomfort with Kaoru seething against him. She stopped seething for a moment and was completely happy.

"Well?" she asked, fanning eyelashes at him. "Where are they?"

"Right, here," he said and pointed behind him. Five people carrying three boxes of shoes each was standing behind Kuno. Kaoru nodded in contentment. Kuno was just happy knowing she was pleased for the time being.

"Put them in my room." She walked back into her room, gasping at how much junk was in there.

* * *

"Why did you get so much crap for Miss Kaoru-chan?" asked Sano, putting down the boxes on a shelf, and stretching to try to get the kink out of his back. He groaned, softly. Rin loaded the other shelves, neatly, with the books and paper, and other objects she had wanted.

"Could you unload those boxes into the closet for her, Sano-sama, please?" asked Rin, tossing an empty box into the wagon. He raised a silent eyebrow and nodded. He lifted the boxes again and waddled over to the closet. Someone gasped.

"Damn," said Kuno, softly pushing past Kaoru. She moved out of the way and walked further into the room. Sanosuke was hanging up overly fancy kimonos and putting away a box full of gold pins.

"Thank you, Rin-kun!" she said, gleefully, watching the people load her closet further with shoes, some new and older looking. "Maybe this time Battousai won't sell my belongings in the black market when I'm not around," she grumbled. Kuno started gag and ran out of the room, the five shoe carriers followed, swiftly. Sano shifted uneasily.

"Actually," said Rin, calmly. He was not the one or the ones who did it. "It wasn't Battousai, it was some of his members who thought that it would be funny to sell your stuff." Kaoru narrowed her eyes at Rin and glared. He shut up and threw another box into the wagon. She sighed and walked over to her bed. It was a built into the floor bed, a mattress with silk sheets on it and a cozy comforter. She laid down on and closed her eyes. Her arms were sprawled out and her legs were crossed.

"I know you didn't do it, Rin-kun," she said, keeping her eyes closed, her voice wasn't filled with anger. "I doubt Sano did it." Sanosuke shook his head, sitting cross-legged beside Kaoru. Rin finished loading the shelves and was now plugging electronics into the wall. He put pillows around that area.

"Do you have a computer, Miss Kaoru-chan?" he asked, falling face forward as the pillow he was sitting on, moved back. "Ow."

"Yes, it's in my luggage." Ten people came in carrying a single bag each. "It's in the black bag that looks like one of those that holds a laptop." Rin nodded, and grabbed it from the pile.

* * *

(In the afternoon)

"I need information about KBF," Aoshi whispered into the phone, watching closely for anyone listening in. "Put the price at one thousand. Unless, they have more information than just what it means."

"Of course, Aoshi-dono," said Mr. Red, nodding and typing it into a computer. "I'll get as much info about it as possible. It sounds familiar. I believe it is the innkeeper to the black market sometimes." Aoshi nodded, rubbing droplets of sweat off his forehead. He sighed, glancing at the ceiling.

"Any news?" he asked in a whisper.

"We need a large gem," said Mr. Red. "All I want is your permission to put it on the bounty list."

"Go ahead," Aoshi whispered. "What is it?"

"A 100 karat diamond in Lord Loki's house," said Mr. Red, slowly. "It is necessary for a huge experiment. I would like to explain it to you, but not over the phone. I know you understand."

"Yes, of course. I understand. I shall talk to you later." He hung up the phone and fled through a secret door in his office. He snuck through the men's baths and walked towards the main hall.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Battousai-san," said Kaoru, walking towards him in another kimono that was blue and orange. He sitting in front of a large, almost deserted table. The five people, sitting at the table and closest to the Battousai, looked up.

"You are excused," he said to them as he felt Kaoru approaching. She laughed, softly, and sat on the first empty cushion next to him. "Good afternoon, Miss Kaoru-san." She pecked his cheek, lightly, and pulled away. He held her right hand under the table as her left pulled a paper out of her kimono. He rubbed his thumb on her hand. She looked at the paper, but when he tried to see what she was reading, it was blank to him. It was that paper again. That stupid paper she had with her all the time.

"I need you to sign some papers for me later tonight," she said, softly, turning to face him and setting the paper on the table. He nodded, watching her with loving eyes.

"Who wants those pictures of me?" he asked, the edges of his lips rising. He was having a mini thumb war with her.

"I can't tell you, tono," she whispered, fighting with his thumb with her own. "My sweetheart." She smiled, and jerked her hand toward her body. Kissing his lips softly. He laughed, silently, and jerked their hands toward himself. Kissing her lips, domineeringly. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, she gasped, half surprised at the action. _Revenge!_ She screamed in her mind. She pushed him back with her hand on his chest. He narrowed his eyes in sinister amusement. He was starting to get the advantage and she knew it. She frowned, stubbornly, standing up. He stood up, and tried to trick her into kissing him again. She passed him instead and pushed him against the table.

* * *

A few minutes later…

Somehow, they ended up standing on the large conference table, still having there little thumb fight.

"You can't beat me, Miss Kaoru-san," said Battousai, smiling, wickedly at her. She glared at him, but was smiling too.

"Oh, yeah? Hmm, tough guy Battousai-san?" she challenged. A crowd was growing in the room as they silently watched. He walked forward causing her to have to jump over a candle in the middle of the table. It was lit and she had no need for fires. She also noticed that her paper was near it. She was shoved backwards again. She jumped over another candle, landing on the sitting cushions of the Battousai. He knelt down to her level, doing so he knocked over a candle. _How ungraceful!_

Kaoru grabbed the paper as the candle's flame tried to ignite it. It didn't. it didn't even leave a tarnished mark on the paper. She flapped it and slipped it back into her shirt. Sanosuke walked into the room.

"Can't you two ever have a normal conversation," he complained, tapping Battousai on the shoulder. She placed her thumb on top of the Battousai's.

"HAH!" she shouted, letting go of his hand and jumping to the side as he sat on his cushion. "I won!" He narrowed his eyes, again, and held out his hand.

"Not for long," he hissed, she smirked at his challenge. Sanosuke sighed and grabbed their wrists, and made their hands slap each others face.

"Knock it off, Battousai-san and Miss Kaoru-chan.," he advised, letting go of their arms. "Your next meeting his here, Battousai-san."

"Sorry, and thank you Sano-kun," said Kaoru, walking out of the room quickly. Battousai frowned and settled down into his cushion.

"Reset the table, and then let them in," Battousai ordered, rubbing his forehead and closing his eyes in thought. What does she want me to sign again?

The table was reset quickly and the guests were escorted in just as quick. "Lunch will be ready in five minutes," whispered a servant of Battousai's. Battousai nodded and waved his hand.

"Welcome friends!" he said, loudly, to the group, opening his eyes and making them feel welcomed.

* * *

Kaoru walked into her room to see Rin still plugging all of her toys in. "Rin-kun!" He practically jumped from where he crouched. He turned quickly around and faced her in a bow. "Are you still?" She sighed.

"Sorry, Miss Kaoru-chan," he said, looking up at her. She nodded.

"I need you to do something for me," she said, softly, grasping his shoulders to make him stand.

"What is it?" She smiled, making him twitch.

"You can go and have a good afternoon's nap." He nodded, dumbly, and left through the doorway, shutting it behind him. She smiled to herself now and plopped herself down in front of her laptop. Taking the camera out of a bag and connecting cords. She uploaded the laptop with the pictures she needed to print out for Kuno and Saitou. Kuno was the one who had wanted the autographed pictures of Kenshin. It was funny, she had only found out since it appeared on the list. She would need to print three hundred photos for the two men. God, it was going to be tiring to have to replace the ink cartridge so much. She wanted to go ask someone else to do it, but she could not risk it. "Print," she mumbled, pressing the button and checking the printer for photo paper. _Good. All is in order. Now to wait_. She sighed and collapsed on top of her bed to take a short nap, before it needed more ink.

* * *

Aoshi listened closely to the meeting Battousai was having. Aoshi was hidden in the shadows, and did not at any cost want to be discovered. It would risk everything he had established for the year of him being here.

* * *

"Now, now," said an older man, motioning for a hush. "Let's start on the _important_ topic."

"Are there problems, Teko-san?" asked Battousai, sipping the sake cup in front of him.

"Yes," his assistant said, swiftly.

"Someone has put a bounty out to find out knowledge on KBF," said Teko, quickly, glaring at Muki. Muki looked down at his lap, setting the cup in his hand on the table. "For 1 thousand dollars, probably more if asked."

"Disturbing," said Battousai, glaring at the crowd. How did someone find out about KBF? No one really knew what KBF was. It was the name of the factory he owned: "K and B factory".

"They also put a bounty on my diamond!" screamed a whiny voice, his guards looked at him.

"And they put a bounty on some kid's head that I'm taking care of at the moment!" shouted someone else, people turned to see who it was, but they couldn't find the source.

"Any other bounties?" Battousai asked, growing a headache.

"Nope, none that are directly influenced on us," said Teko, rubbing is chin thought.

"Why don't we put a bounty out?" asked Muki, slamming his fist on the table, and, apparently, angry.

"Good idea," said Sanosuke, smirking, slightly. "How about we steal that vase that was taken from us in the black market sale we were having."

"Heh," said Battousai, remembering the incident. "We never did figure out who stole it and sold it."

"Probably the same person who sold Miss Kaoru's belongings," said Rin, walking and sitting a cushion away from Battousai. In other words, beside Sanosuke. Sano nodded.

"He's likely right, Battousai-dono," said Sanosuke to Battousai. Battousai nodded after a few seconds.

"Put out other bounties too," he said, rubbing his lip with thumb in thought. "See if we can get info on who set out that first bounty you spoke of, Teko." Teko nodded and Muki scribbled it down in a notebook.

* * *

Aoshi sleeked through the shadows and walked down the hallway, intent on using Saitou's phone line again. He slid open the door a crack. He noticed Kaoru's hunched position on Saitou's desk.

"Um… Yes. Yes. Hell no," she said, rubbing her forehead. To Aoshi it looked like she was about to blow up in stress. "Yes. No! Don't add that, he hates that!" She paused. "Yes. When? Okay, could you make it sooner? Please? I only have a few days." Another pause. "How much? WHAT! Okay, fine, just have it finished by tomorrow afternoon. Thank you. I will have someone wise pick it up. He will have the money you want. Do not tell him what it is. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much!" He closed the door and walked away to hide in the shadows. She walked out of the room, looked around, knowing someone was there. Then she walked back to her room. "Hope they finish the meeting soon."

Aoshi walked into the room, hastily, finding Saitou at his desk. "Saitou?" he whispered, he clasped a hand over his mouth hoping Saitou hadn't heard him. Saitou looked up, his gaze friendly.

"Oh, hello, Aoshi-san," he said, signing a paper. "What do you need?"

"… What did Miss Kaoru-chan call about?" he asked, changing the subject. Saitou rolled his eyes, dramatically.

"She is getting a present for Rin-kun," he whispered to Aoshi, a paper fell off his desk and he leaned over to pick it up. Half the papers on his desk fell off with him. Aoshi smirked and left the room. So that was why he hadn't noticed Saitou earlier. "Aoshi?" Saitou looked around and shrugged. Stupid papers, he thought to himself. Picking them up and organizing them again.

* * *

Kaoru walked down the hall and turned into another hallway, and she turned into her room. _Battousai will not be here for an hour or three. Hmm…_She walked forward, picked up a yukata, and headed into her bathroom.

It was actually the only women's bathroom for the whole west wing of the house, but there were no other women around here. This was Battousai's wing after all. This wing was meant for business, him, and _her_. She stripped her clothes off, and snuggled into the warmth of the water. A waterfall kept the water recycling itself, coming down clean and hot. She wrapped a towel around her body in the water and placed a wash cloth over her eyes. _Sweet harmony._ She smiled in contentment. She reached over, temporally letting the wash cloth fall, and threw the bubble bath container into the waterfall. She placed the wash cloth back onto her eyes and felt the bubbles grow. Her body fell numb with pleasure of the peacefulness.

* * *

Aoshi walked down the same hallways as Kaoru, and turned to the front of her door. It was closed. He opened it a crack and saw no one was there. He walked inside silently, and shut the door behind him. He walked towards the large piles of papers on the floor. They were photos. Of Battousai when he was kind and selfless, and of a strange man with five skinny whores. He noticed a paper beside the photos and picked it up. Both sides were blank, but the paper felt rough, like it was written on. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see something he clearly was not seeing. He blew on it for some reason, he wasn't sure why he had. Near the bottom of the page in thick black font, the words_: 10. Aoshi_ suddenly appeared. He widened his eyes in surprise slightly, and threw down the paper. He felt the urge to convulse as strange sensations filled him. He back up away from the paper, he was shaking uncontrollably. Why was his name there? Why? Why hadn't it been there before? Why was it there!

He disappeared through the door, closing it behind him. He heard the door to her bathroom slide open. He walked down the hallway. He needed another drink; that wine did nothing for him. He narrowed his eyes in silent anger for his confusion. Why? She didn't even know him, how did she get his name? Who was she to Battousai?

* * *

Kaoru walked out of the bathroom a bit dazzled, and got dressed into clean clothes. She would need to get someone to clean her clothes for her, because Battousai would not let her leave him tonight. She walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her, and walked to the main hall. She knew it was nighttime, because of the darkness that was worse than usual. _I hope he has finished his meeting. I cannot imagine what they would have to talk about for so long…_

She slid the door open a crack, Battousai and Sanosuke were talking in hushed tones together and Rin was standing near them, watching the room. No one else was there. Kaoru walked forward into the view sight of Rin and bowed to him in greeting.

"I hope," she said, sweetly, placing a hand on Sano's shoulder. "You two are done-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Kaoru-chan," interrupted Sanosuke, turning to look at her. "But we will be another hour. Then you can have Kenshin-san." She looked, blankly, at him for a moment and then nodded, smiling.

"That's alright," she said, walking away. "I almost forgot about something else I had to do first." She took a pin from her pocket and put up her hair. Not looking back at their surprised faces.

"Do you think it is one of the new people?" whispered Sano, looking back at Battousai. "It would probably be more likely be one of them over a long term member. A long term member would've acted up by now."

Battousai nodded, and yawned. "Unless… he is in cahoots with the traitor."

"Traitor," breathed Rin, narrowing his eyes and gripping the hilt of his sword tightly in hand. "_Traitor._"

* * *

Kaoru walked into her room and picked up the pictures for Saitou. She had almost forgotten about them. She slipped them into a folder, and walked to Saitou's office, calculating the amount of cash she could get off this. Maybe she could just get him to pay for Rin's new sword. Rin's sword only cost a thousand dollars more than these pictures.

* * *

"How much?" asked Saitou, calmly, rewriting a check. He sighed as his shaky hand messed up the zeros again. She sighed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"20 thousand, Saitou, for 100 photos." She sighed, again, wondering if she should just have him pay for the sword. "Would you prefer paying for Rin's present instead, Saitou?" She smirked at him, evilly.

He shook his head and slammed his checkbook down on the table. She tilted her head in confusion. "How about I just give it to you in cash," he said, and she smiled.

"That'll do. I prefer American money or Japanese money." He nodded, unlocking a safe in the floor.

"Half American and half Japanese?" She nodded, and watched him fill a black metal suitcase full of cash and ryō.

"Nice doing business with you… Saitou…" He handed the suitcase to her, taught her the lock combo and wrote it on a slip of paper for her. She bowed to Saitou and he returned it. She walked down the halls, humming, and inwardly groaning at the heaviness of the suitcase.

She entered her bedroom and slipped the suitcase into another bag, locking it with a padlock and placing it behind her closed laptop.

Battousai entered her room without a word and waited behind her for her to finished placing the bag where she wanted it to be. Once she had finished, he grabbed her, roughly and emotionlessly. She glared at him.

"Battousai?" she spat, not understanding his roughness. His eyes were so cold and… desperate. "Battousai!" She made a motion to slap him; to try to get Kenshin back into his body. Battousai grabbed her wrist. She growled at him, moving to the side, trying to get her wrist back. He grabbed her other wrist, and pushed them down to her sides. _He would not dare!_ He shoved her against a wall and ripped the purple silk obi from her waist. The shock from hitting the wall made her body fill cold. A temporary side effect of shock. She could not push him away; the tingling attacked her nerves. Making her feel like she was a pincushion. Battousai held her up by her throat, while she tried to focus her vision on him so that she could punch him. It looked like there was two Battousais, no maybe three. _Which one? The right… no the left. _Her hands fell out of the numbness and dragged on top of what felt like a chest. She shoved it back roughly.

He fell onto the floor surprised, but this only caused his anger to grow. She slid to the floor, breathing heavily. She felt something warm leave her lips. She dizzily lifted her hand to her face, making it touch her shoulder first. She hissed, now the pincushion feeling was gone and replaced by fiery pain. Her sense kicked in a second later as she realized it was blood coming from her mouth. If she received anymore of these shoves, she would pass out or break a bone.

In a flash, he was in front of her, holding her neck roughly. She whined, not knowing. She hated not knowing what to do. It was obvious to her now that he had stripped her and that his clothing was falling off his body. He picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other on her back. He set her down softly on the built-in-the-floor bed. When he sat on top of her, rubbing his hands down her body, she punched him hard across the face. His face still turned the other way transformed into a furious scowl. He growled and turned back to look at her. His eyes were even more yellow with anger. She narrowed her eyes at him and punched him in the face again. His lip started to bleed, and he placed his hands on her legs, opening them. She gasped and tried to jerk her legs closed. She slapped him frantically, and fought against him. Battousai dug his fingernails into her skin. She whimpered, softly. He let go of her thighs and placed them on her face. He leaned his face close to hers. _Maybe, he's coming to his senses? What made him lose control anyway?_ He wasn't going to come to his senses, and she knew it. She wouldn't admit it. She didn't understand what had happened to him. They had been true lovers for… forever… Why now was he… was he doing this? He had her trust, just do it naturally. She stopped fighting him, biting her lip, until she found that it had started to bleed down her chest. He was dragging his awful cursed lips down her chest, her breast, her. She closed her eyes, breathing heavier.

Then she smelled it. The alcohol was pouring off his tongue. Why had drank so much? So much so that she felt her body woozy with the scent.

* * *

Sanosuke ran down the halls. Where did he go? Battousai did not take betrayal well, and especially if he thought that it was Kaoru's doing. Battousai had somehow ended up with the idea that it was Kaoru's fault after twentieth drink. Why had he let Battousai do that? What the hell was he thinking? Kaoru was in so much danger with a drunken, pissed off Battousai. Twenty drinks. Damn, he was feeling like he was moron. "Sano!" shouted a voice, waving frantically at him. "There is some trouble in the factory!"

"Oh, shit," cursed Sano, running towards the voice. Sorry, Kaoru.

* * *

Aoshi smiled, pleased with what he had said to Battousai. He had pretended to be drunk in front of Battousai, slipping toxins into his "lord's" drink. Aoshi felt a shiver fly up his spine. What ever he did to Kaoru would be his straight course to hell. No redemption when heaven's angel was pissed. Aoshi chuckled, darkly, almost regretting his actions with Battousai. Nevertheless, the Battousai would never remember what had happened. He would not remember Aoshi's cruel words about his lover's betrayal. Even though Aoshi did not even know her past her name.

* * *

Kaoru woke up five hours later alone. She had fallen asleep against Battousai, but now she was all alone. She felt like… shit. She rubbed the drying tears from her face, had she been crying while she slept? She shrugged and grabbed a kimono from a hanger. She did not tie herself up, and paced. She was not thinking anything. She had a headache. She looked at her knuckles remembering that she had punched him in the face about five times before he went deep into her. She grunted trying to bring negative thoughts to her head. Nothing, it was like she was stupid or a child that was careless. She cared about certain things and those things were… she groaned, rubbing her forehead. Her headache grew. She noticed something on the floor… signed.

She knelt down; her eyes wide and clear. Kenshin had autographed the photos of himself, just like she had needed. So had Kenshin come back? Afterwards? She hoped so, so that he could see what his other half had done. She scowled and growled furiously. She slipped the pictures into a folder and walked into the bathroom to cleanse her tarnished skin. She slipped something small and white into her mouth, and then drank a sake bottle on a shelf. _La, la, la, la…

* * *

_

_Ningen: human. Naze: why. Hina: elaborate doll (traditionally given in Girl's day) (Wish the U.S. had a 'Girl's day' and a 'All boys must obey girl's day'! LOL!) I love this story. Though I didn't actually intend to have the Battousai rape thing. Really I was not in the mood to write it at all, but it was necessary for other parts in later chapters. God. But, I still don't care what anyone else thinks! (Though I do consider your opinion.) I do hope the summary is good enough to represent the story. Sorry, I haven't written out the lemons… I just, I don't know, get bored at the thought of it. Most sex stories are the same. I mean… come on! Lately, in the stories with lemons, I've been noticing that they all have finger action. I wonder if some mad scientist decided that he was going to make everyone (that write lemons) horny with the thoughts of fingers. Hell, somewhere in one of my stories (in or not), I've written about the finger action. It is disgusting how good some of these authors write about it (emotions and sensations). Makes me want to scream. So anyway, total finger action – I mean, lemons coming up. There were already lemons, but I will actually write them out for once this story. At least, if I can stand it! (Tee-Hee!) I do not want flames! Do not bother me with flames! You are the one dumb ass who read the story (ass wipe). Shoot, I had written in notes earlier in the chapter that I thought there would be no rape, but since it all worked out. This is what I wrote, thinking there would be no need for rape: Happy to say (and disappointed in a sick way) that there will be no rape. I cannot think of anyone that'll be getting raped. I already know everything about this story and I doubt there will be need of rape. Will be physical abuse and fight scenes! Totally awesome! It's all in my head… and some paper I scribbled on in case I forgot. (So much for no rape and I thought I had this story all planned. Room shaking **sigh**) At the end of the story I'll post all of Fate's List, there may be two or three… It really is Fate's List, because it was guiding her to her true lover and her true purpose. Can any guess who it will be? Moreover, what her fate is? He is number 10 on her list. I am saving the best lemon for number 10. I was super edgy writing this story! In addition, this story does not follow story lines. I hope I have all the characteristics right for at least some of them. The term "fuck buddy" comes from 40-year-old virgin. LOL! I hope I spelled sake right. Ryō is a gold piece used in the Edo period and before that. I am not sure if it is still used as money in Japan today. Since this story is based in the "now" time, I do not know what the money is called. Could someone please explain the money in Japan to me? If no understandable answer, I will keep using ryō as the money as well as: mon (copper coin), kan (1000 mon), and monme (silver piece). Ryō is worth 60 monmes or 4 kan. That's all I have for you now. You should know I did not expect it to be this many pages long… (Like eight pages with notes in font size 10) I am proud! Tears, tears… R&R! (Tee-Hee!)_


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